Faculty, Students, Even Alumni Pitch In At Recruiting Event

Sam Houston State University is setting enrollment records
every semester and if participation at a high school recruiting
fair last weekend is any indication, the trend should continue.

Last Saturday 16 faculty members and 39 students, in addition
to regular recruiters from the admissions/recruiting office,
spent the day at the 22nd Annual Houston Hispanic Forum Career
and Education Day at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

The SHSU effort included criminal justice and foreign languages
displays as well as roving Bearkat student ambassadors wearing
orange and navy t-shirts with the university's motto--"The
measure of a Life is its Service."

Debra Andrist, who chairs the foreign languages department,
said that she is a long-time Houston Hispanic Forum board
member. She organized the extra faculty and student effort
for the event.

"This event has evolved from one targeting a limited
number of students to one attended by a multi-cultural/ethnic
audience, including not only families, but students bussed
in by teachers and counselors," said Andrist.

Trevor Thorn, director of admissions/recruiting, said that
Sam Houston State has sent recruiters to the event for many
years, but that the faculty and student participation added
an extra dimension.

"It's really nice when you have someone from CJ for instance,
who can tell you in detail about CJ, or foreign languages,
who can tell you about foreign languages in detail,"
he said. "Our recruiting people are pretty much generalists."

Other departments are also selecting students and faculty
who want to help with recruiting and are good at it.

"We're seeing more and more of this," Thorn said.
"Anybody that's recruiting is a big help to us, especially
if they're well-briefed and have been given some direction.
The more the merrier."

Andrist said that several alumni also showed up at the Houston
event to give their support and perspective.